Our clients were in a tough situation. The couple were working to gain custody of the husband’s two children from their birth mother, who, among other things, they believed had been driving while intoxicated – and with their children in the car.

The couple sought their last resort: a private investigator. After researching the internet, they hired a PI, a former cop, who had some decent reviews on his website. They paid the $5000 retainer fee prior to their first meeting. Prepared, the couple provided the private investigator with lists of where the birth mother went, who she saw, and her license plate.

Weeks went by with no updates – no reports, no photos, not even an invoice for the hours worked. They followed up via email, phone, but after a month realized that they had been conned.

The couple tried again, hiring another private investigator and paying another four-figure retainer, only to be scammed again.

Professionally, they both had previous experience as entrepreneurs. They began to look at their personal plight from their professional point of view: as an opportunity, an idea for a business solution. How could they help others facing similar challenges?

Within two years, they had built a network of private investigators, carefully vetted, licensed and able to help others either reunite with loved ones or recover stolen assets through their work. They had successfully built a business that served a need and provided a trustworthy resource to solve problems.

However, their personal battle over child custody continued. The children were missing practices, tutoring sessions, and try as they may, were sometimes unable to connect with them on a phone the parents had provided.

One call made it through miraculously, only to end in a sudden hang-up. As any parent would, they called the county police and asked for a wellness check. The children were fine when the police arrived, but the parents also realized that a quick visit wouldn’t tell the whole story.

And that’s when the couple became their own customers. Tapping into their newly-formed startup, they called one of their own private investigators who was already privy to the background information, and the personal struggles the birth mother faced. Hours later, the children's safety was confirmed by the investigator.

Trustify isn’t just another business venture. Danny Boice and Jen Mellon want to provide people with the truth, trust and safety that they sought for their children to others, whether its a search for a birth parent, surveillance to determine if your partner is having an affair, or an investigation to see if an employee is embezzling funds from work.